In pictures: Deadly blaze rips through 24-storey London tower block

A massive fire ravaged a 24-storey block of flats in central London on Wednesday, killing six people and injuring at least 50 more as some residents were trapped inside the towering inferno.

Grenfell Tower

Gurbuz Binici | Getty Images

The fire was first reported shortly after 1.15am BST on Wednesday morning. The Grenfell Tower block in north Kensington contains around 120 homes and houses several hundred people.

Smoke billowed from the building

Jonathan Brady | PA Images via Getty Images

British media reported that residents had become trapped in the upper floors and were desperately screaming for help as the fire spread through the building.

Unprecedented Incident

DANIEL LEAL-OLIVAS | AFP | Getty Images

London Fire Brigade Commissioner, Dany Cotton, said "This is an unprecedented incident. In my 29 years of being a firefighter, I have never ever seen anything of this scale."

The cause of the fire remains unknown at this stage, according to London Fire Brigade.

Firefighters at the scene

Leon Neal | Getty Images

More than 250 firefighters and 40 fire engines were sent to the tower block in central London.

Complex recovery operation

Rick Findler | PA Images via Getty Images

"Our thoughts are with everyone involved in this truly shocking fire at Grenfell Tower," Stuart Cundy, commander of the Metropolitan police, said on Wednesday morning.

"I can confirm six fatalities at this time but this figure is likely to rise during what will be a complex recovery operation over a number of days. Many others are receiving medical care," he added.

London rallies to help residents

Behlul Cetinkaya | Anadolu Agency | Getty Images

Mosques and churches located nearby Grenfell Tower opened their doors on Wednesday to help those affected by the blaze.

Residents have urged people from all over the city to come forward and donate food, clothing and toiletries to St Clements Church, pictured above, as well as other places in the vicinity.

Fire risk

Paul Davey | Barcroft Images | Barcroft Media via Getty Images

An action group at the west London tower block had repeatedly warned of a fire risk and suggested a similar incident was narrowly avoided after a power surge in 2013.

The Grenfell Action Group claimed their concerns were dismissed by Kensington and Chelsea council, which owns the block of flats, as well as the local tenant management organisation (KCTMO) which runs the borough's homes.

Kensington and Chelsea council were not immediately available for comment when contacted by CNBC on Wednesday morning.

Building safe for crews to work in

Leon Neal | Getty Images

London's Fire Brigade Commissioner told reporters that while the building appeared to be safe for crews to work in, a structural engineer is continuing to monitor the safety of the tower block.

It is understood that several hundred people had been asleep in the tower block when the fire spread throughout the building.